Music is a wonderful gift from God, that spans time, culture and tastes. In Ephesians 5, Christians are reminded to encourage each other with “psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” and to “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord”.
At Stewardship, we believe that our generosity should ascend far higher than mere transaction or obligation, into a place of contentment, vibrancy and worshipful delight in God and the blessings he has given us.
So with that in mind, together with colleagues we’ve curated our collective musical tastes down to five tracks that capture the heart of generous living. From modern worship classics that get stuck in your head for days, to hymns that have been making people feel generous for over a century, these songs remind us that giving isn't just about opening our wallets – it's about opening our hearts in response to the love that God first showed us.
So turn up the volume, dust off the air guitar and let these melodies remind you of the joy found in living generously.
(Spotify user? We’ve created a Generosity Grooves playlist, that contains these five tracks plus other great songs to make you think about joyful generosity.)
① A modern classic - “Goodness of God”
by Bethel Music
“With my life laid down
I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me”
Goodness of God is a wonderful song of testimony which traces God’s care and provision through the ups and downs of life. This heart of gratitude for God’s faithfulness is a great place to start when thinking about our own generosity – we know we are giving from a place of abundance and confident security.
Now regularly sung in churches across the world and in many languages, notable covers of this song include CeCe Winans’ masterpiece
② Straight from the noughties - “Everlasting Arms”
by Lou Fellingham
“So lean hard
Lean hard
Lean on the everlasting arms”
This early 2000s worship anthem captures the essence of trusting God completely with our resources and our future. Lou Fellingham's powerful delivery reminds us that generous giving flows from a place of absolute confidence in God's sustaining power. When we truly believe that we are held in His everlasting arms, we can release our grip on earthly possessions without fear.
This trust transforms our perspective on money from something we must hoard for security to something we can freely share, knowing our true security rests in Him.
③ Rap royalty - “Boasting”
by Lecrae
“What's my life if it's not praising you?
Another dollar in my bank account of vain pursuit
I do not count my life as any value or precious at all
Let me finish my race, let me answer my call”
Centred on Corinthians 1:31, Lecrae's "Boasting" flips the script on what we typically boast about, challenging listeners to find their worth not in material accumulation but in Christ alone.
The song's raw honesty about the temptations of wealth and status makes it particularly relevant for anyone wrestling with the call to give sacrificially. Lecrae's transparent lyrics acknowledge the struggle while pointing toward the freedom that comes from finding our worth in Jesus rather than in what we own.
This perspective shift is crucial. When we understand that our true treasure is in Christ, we're liberated to use our financial resources as tools for His kingdom rather than symbols of our success.
④ A hymn for today - “Take my life, and let it be”
by Frances Ridley Havergal
This hymn of consecration was written 150 years ago, yet remains valued as one of the most comprehensive prayers of surrender. The hymn systematically offers every aspect of life to God, including our financial resources with the line "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold."
What makes this hymn particularly powerful for thinking about generosity is its recognition that giving money is part of a larger surrender of our entire lives to God. It's not just about tithing or charitable donations – it's about acknowledging that everything we have belongs to Him and should be used for His purposes.
⑤ One for the kids - “A generous heart”
by Sovereign Grace Music
“There are those who give away
It seems the more they give, the more they gain
There are others who hold back
The more they try to keep, the more they lack”
Teaching children about generosity is crucial for developing lifelong habits of giving, and "A Generous Heart" does this beautifully through simple, memorable lyrics that help young minds understand the joy of giving.
The song emphasizes that generosity is not about the amount we give but about the heart behind our giving, acknowledging that God is the Giver of life so can never be outgiven.
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James Bishop
James is our Digital Marketing Manager and works within our Purpose team to connect Christians to the causes they care about and to inspire them to live out the freedom that active generosity offers. He works on website content and email newsletters, advertising on social media and making sure people using search engines can find us. James also contributes to campaigns such as 40acts and the Generosity Report.
Before joining Stewardship in 2025, James worked in marketing departments of all sizes, from a biotech startup to a large civil engineering consultancy and most recently a learning disability charity.
James lives in Surrey and serves in a local church as a director of their non-profit community café and on their AV team. James is reluctantly making a middle-age transition from football to golf and loves making homemade pizza and good coffee.
